title: Cocaine fatality: an unexplained blood concentration in a fatal overdose.
abstract: A case is presented of a 26-year-old female who died as a result of cocaine intoxication. A blood cocaine concentration of 330 mg/l, about 1.5 times greater than the highest concentration previously reported, was found. Blood benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester concentrations were 50 and 18 mg/l, respectively. The unusually high blood concentrations of cocaine and the metabolites are suggestive of a massive administration, however, the history suggests a series of recreational uses. The manner of death was undetermined.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Peretti
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Isenschmid
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Smialek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine